The Other Side
by Hope Swings
Summary: “I just think she needs a break or something, maybe see what she could have had if things were different… if Mom hadn’t died and she felt tied down because I needed a family and a male role model who was successful and… healthy.”
1. Chapter 1

**The Other Side**

**The Producer**

Office sounds filled the air as Sango Hara strolled passed cubicles, a Styrofoam coffee cup in one hand and a stack of files and papers poised between her hip and elbow. It was a good day, a very good day. Today, she chose the feature families for the network's brand new reality TV show, The Other Side. And the best part was that this was _her_ show, _her_ brainchild. And now it was becoming a major production and the main focus of the network.

"Sango!" a frantic voice called as she passed by a doorway. "Sango!"

Turning, she saw a frazzled woman rushing after her, waving papers in the air. Her brown hair was a mess and flying around in every direction and her eyes were wide and darting all over. Taken aback, Sango stared at her as she approached quickly.

"Sango!" the woman repeated as she finally caught up with the young producer and tried to catch her breath.

"Uh… yes?" Sango asked uneasily.

"I… I've been looking for you everywhere…" the woman gasped, leaning on her knees. "Th-they moved the meeting up to two o' clock…"

"What?" Sango glanced down at the watch on her slim wrist. "But… Holy crap! It's almost three!"

Her coffee and files dropped to the floor as she continued to stare wide-eyed and open-mouthed at her watch. She'd missed the meeting… she'd missed her meeting…

"I'm really sorry. I really did look everywhere for you…" the assistant said meekly, staring down at her hands.

"H-how… did this happen…?" she muttered, slumping against a partition and sliding down to the floor to cradle her head in her hands. "This was the most important meeting of my career… of my life…"

"I'm sorry…"

Just then, her cell phone rang. Sango jumped and frantically transferred her folder to trap it between her side and coffee arm while she fished around in her purse of the small cellular device. After a few agonizing moments, she finally grasped the tiny phone off the bottom of her purse and flipped it open, not even bothering to check the caller ID.

"Yeah, hello?" she muttered into the microphone.

"Ms. Hara," her boss's voice slid smoothly out of the speaker, making her pale audibly.

"Mr. Onigumo! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I just heard about the meeting, I didn't know!"

The bodiless voice just chuckled easily. "Come now, Ms. Hara. I'm not calling about that. We found the perfect couples for your show proposition."

"But-but, sir, I was supposed to-"

"Yes, yes, I know," he cut her off with an aggravated sigh. "But since you weren't at the meeting we went ahead and viewed the possible audition tapes. It was a unanimous decision and we're fairly pleased with our choices."

"Well, alright, sir. I would still like to view the tapes myself and confirm the families' compatibility, though."

"Yes, yes, whatever you'd like. But they're the families for the pilot no matter what. I don't care what it takes; make it work."

"Um… yes, all right sir," she said meekly.

"Good. Now hop to it. We want to begin recording as soon as possible."

And with those parting words, the head of the networking company ended the call. Sango numbly shut her cell phone and walked dazedly into her office. This was going to be a long day…

X

"_That's my sister_," a teenager's voice came from the screen, which showed a laughing young woman dancing around a kitchen with a pudgy cat held aloft. "_She's been taking care of me for a while now, ever since our mom died. She's a great sister and she's awesome at what she does to keep us all sane. She married Akitoki Houjo two years ago_," the camera swung to show a lanky man with light brown hair puzzling over bills at the kitchen table, not even glancing up at his wife.

The camera cut to a young boy with a dark crop of black hair an looked pale and sickly with dark rings around his eyes who slightly resembled the young woman with the cat. He was sitting on a bed in front of a wall covered in posters and photo clippings. The boy gave a slight smile and glanced at something out of the camera's range.

"_Kagome and Akitoki went out their last year of high school and didn't ever really break up. So after a few years, it just developed into a marriage, especially since Akitoki was so happy and our mom was ecstatic. So Kags married the guy to make everybody happy. But I can tell she isn't. I think she knows it too, but she's just to stubborn to admit that it was never going to work and it still isn't going to work. She's too nice to hurt anybody and she just wants to take care of me. And I know that and I can accept that. She thinks it's her duty and won't listen to a word her 'kid brother' says. I just think she needs a break or something, maybe see what she could have had if things were different… if Mom hadn't died and she felt tied down because I needed a family and a male role model who was successful and… healthy_."

The boy's eyes were beginning to cloud with tears and he furiously scrubbed them away. With a sigh, he looked back up at the camera with sincere chocolate brown eyes. Throughout his whole little speech, he'd looked so awed and happy talking about his sister. Now, he looked determined and resolved.

"_It's even worse now since we just found out I have the same thing that killed our mom. So on top of the usual things she has to do, like running a household as the only girl, she has to deal with my doctors' appointments and medical bills. I don't mean to be a burden and if I wasn't around, I know she'd be much happier financially, but… she needs me… just as much as I need her…_

"_I just want Kagome to be happy. I mean, she's my sister, and it's my responsibility to take care of her. She hasn't really smiled like she used to in so long_..." he developed a far-off look again, staring at something on the opposite wall that no one else could see on the other side of the screen. "_If she could just smile like that again, I'd be truly happy and I wouldn't have any regrets_."

The next shot was of Kagome once again while she stood at the stove cooking. There was a slight upturn of her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes. She remained oblivious to the camera trained on her face for a few minutes before she turned her head to look at who was behind the camera. Once she noticed the camera, she just stood there for a moment; her head cocked to the side and a quizzical look in her honey brown eyes. Finally, her smile widened a little and she thumbed her nose softly to point at whoever was offscreen, her expression softening a bit to show the sadness in her eyes and on her face.

"_I love you, Souta_," she said softly before the tape ended on a picture of her from high school standing between three other girls, beaming at the camera like a hundred watt bulb, her arms slung over the shoulders of the two girls on either side of her.

Sango stared at the black screen for a moment. They were perfect… Absolutely perfect. Sniffling, she took out the tape and replaced it with another one. If the first family was this good, then she couldn't imagine how amazing this family would be.

The first shot was of… Kagome? Sango checked the boxes in confusion. She could've sworn she'd changed the tapes…

"_Inuyasha, turn off that camera_," a rich female voice said in annoyance.

"_Aw, c'mon, Kikyou. Say hi to the camera_," a deep male voice said from behind the camera. "_I'll get your good side, I promise_."

That elicited a smirk from the woman who turned back to the vanity mirror to finish getting ready. She fixed an earring in one ear and bent close to the mirror to check her red lipstick in her reflection. Batting her eyelashes, she nodded in satisfaction before stepping away from the mirror and walking off screen.

The next shot was of the same woman and a man with long silver hair standing in front of a quant townhouse with a red door. They had their arms around each other and were grinning at the camera.

"_I'm Inuyasha Taisho_," the man said with the same voice as earlier in the tape. "_And this is my fiancée, Kikyou_," here he smiled fondly down at the top of her head.

"_Inu works at a newspaper downtown_," Kikyou said demurely, lightly patting his chest. "_And I work at a law firm as well_."

"_We've been together for four years and we're ready to start a family right here, but it just seemed right to try something different that will test our love and respect for each other_," Inuyasha said, hugging the woman to him even tighter. Kikyou just rolled her eyes and pushed lightly at his chest.

The next shot was of a little redheaded boy with green eyes laying on the floor and staring up at a TV screen. He was laying on his stomach with his feet kicking in the air and his head propped up on his fists. He was the most adorable little boy on the face of the earth!

"_Shippou_!" Inuyasha called, zooming in for a close up as the little boy looked up with wide eyes.

"_Yeah_?"

"_What're you doing_?"

"_There's a Star Trek marathon on the Sci-Fi channel_," the redhead explained excitedly. "_You wanna watch with me_?"

Inuyasha chuckled in the background. "_No thanks. Tell me what happens with Spock and Captain Kirk, alright?_"

Shippou beamed. "_You bet_!"

The camera switched to Inuyasha by himself. The sounds of the TV in the background and the Star Trek theme song were evident in the other room. The silver-haired young man smiled softly.

"_His mom was my best friend growing up. But she's had a drug problem for years and couldn't take care of him. So, I took him in and have been looking after him for years. Suki disappeared two years ago and we just finished the adoption process last May. Shippou's too young to really remember his mom, but he still wonders about her. He's pretty smart for a six-year-old. Kikyou and I are really proud of him, even if he can get really annoying at times. And even though I complain a lot, I really do care about the little runt. He's like my own kid and I'd take him in no matter what. His mom deserves that much, to know that her son is safe and in good hands_."

The tape continued for a few minutes but Sango had heard all she needed. These two families were perfect! Sure, they were a bit small and the two woman bore an uncanny resemblance… but they would make a perfect pilot episode for the series. Sango couldn't wait. It was so great, she felt positively giddy over the whole thing. Now all she needed to do was call up the families and set up a day for interviews, paperwork, and initial filming. This was going to be so awesome for her career!

E

_Welcome to **The Other Side**! This has been sitting on my computer for a few months now and it just seemed to be ready for posting. I've got lots of plans for this little baby, so stay tuned! Updates will be really irregular, though. It's what happens when school starts up again and all your time is spent on homework… I need a life outside of school… It's really sad. The same thing goes for all of my other stories. I'm milking this three-day weekend for all it's worth! Bye-bye! – Hope Swings_


	2. Chapter 2

**The Other Side**

**The Families**

It was a quiet morning in the Houjo household. Akitoki was at work and Kagome was cleaning the small two-story house with the radio on. She hummed along with the upbeat song as she danced around with the vacuum. Buyo had hidden under the bed the minute she turned on the big, noisy appliance. It happened every time she brought out the vacuum, ever since she was in Junior High and they'd found him as a scrawny little kitten in a back alley. At first, her grandfather had objected to keeping the little feline, but after a while, he'd finally given in. Kagome smiled softly. It had taken many hours of begging and pleading on her and Souta's parts before he'd finally given up the fight. It'd been almost ten years since then and Buyo was still alive and kicking, even with his bulging girth from so many feedings.

'Souta…' Kagome thought with a sad smile. It'd been only a few months since –

Just then, the telephone rang, cutting through her thought. Turning off the vacuum, she picked up the phone from its cradle on the kitchen counter.

"Hello, Houjo residence, how may I help you?"

"_Hello, Mrs. Houjo_?" a strange, muffled voice came from the other line.

"Yes. What can I do for you?" she asked, puzzled. How did they know her?

There was a sigh on the other line. "_Oh good. I was starting to wonder if I had the correct phone number_," the woman on the other end said relieved.

"No, this is the correct number…" she said hesitantly. "But… I'm rather confused as to what you are calling for…"

"_Oh! I'm so sorry! My name's Melody. I work for Sango Hara at the GCF television network. We received your tape and we are just _thrilled_ that you are interested in being one of our feature families on The Other Side_," the woman gushed.

"Wait, wait," Kagome cut her off. "What do you mean 'our tape?' We didn't send any tape. I have no idea what you're talking about."

There was a pause before, "_Oh… I'm sorry, I read that wrong. Your _brother_ sent in the tape; not you!" _she laughed slightly at her mistake._ "He seems like a very special boy and it's obvious he absolutely _adores_ you_!"

"Souta…" Kagome breathed, almost dropping the phone.

"_Why, yes, that's his name. Now, you're going to have to sign a few release forms and medical records for safety reasons. You're okay with this, right? You don't have any skeletons in your closet or anything? Hello? Mrs. Houjo? You there_?"

Kagome jumped and put the phone back up to her ear. "Yes I'm still here, but… When did my brother send in that tape?"

"_At least five months ago, why_?" melody seemed confused, not understanding why the time between the tape's mailing and now was so important.

"Are –" she swallowed to wet her suddenly very dry mouth. "Are you sure?"

"_Well, no… Is anything wrong_?"

"N-no, everything's fine; I'm fine."

"_Well that's good. Now, the contract and everything is in the mail and Ms. Hara and I will be coming out in a few weeks to meet with you and go over the rules. We also need to make sure that your house will be camera crew adaptable, but that shouldn't be a problem. Any questions_?"

"N-no…"

"_Great! See you in three weeks, Mrs. Houjo! It was so nice to talk to you_!"

"Bye…" Kagome said weakly as the line went dead.

Turning off the phone, she numbly sank into a chair and cradled her head in her hands. She sat there for hours, unmoving while the radio continued to play sugary pop music, cleaning forgotten. Only when her husband came home did she move from her seat, and that was to go into their bedroom and close the door. Akitoki stared after her, brief case and coat still poised in his arms. Something was wrong…

X

The telephone was ringing.

"Shippou, dear, could you answer the phone?" a female voice called from the kitchen where pots clanged against each other and there was a clatter as wooden spoons fell to the floor.

The soon-to-be seven-year-old picked the phone off the cradle and clicked it on, instantly silencing the ringing. He put the phone to his ear, holding it with both hands. There was a silence on the other line for a moment before he finally heard an unfamiliar woman begin talking.

"_Hello_?" she asked. "_Is anyone there? Hello_?"

"Hi," he answered. "I'm Shippou, who're you?"

"_Oh, thank God! Finally, someone answers the phone! Hello, I'm Melody, from the GCF television network. Is Mr. or Mrs. Taisho home_?"

Shippou shook his head.

"_Hello? Is anyone still there_?"

"No, Mommy and Daddy aren't home."

"_Oh… well is anyone there that I can talk to_?" she asked.

"Yeah, hold on," he covered the microphone and turned toward the kitchen doorway. "Auntie Rin!"

There was a crash from inside the kitchen before a short, frazzled woman came rushing out, her long brown hair a mess and flour smeared across her cheeks. Shippou just thrust the phone at her before skipping off to finish watching TV. Rin watched him leave, her delicate brow furrowed and her lips pursed before slowly bringing the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"_Hello! I'm sorry to bother you, but I've been trying to reach you for some time and no one was answering the phone_…" the woman on the other line rambled before trailing off. "_My name's Melody, from the GCF television network. I'm calling for Mr. or Mrs. Taisho. Are they around by any chance_?"

"Um… no," Rin said, slightly confused. "They're on their honeymoon, right now and won't be back for a few weeks…" she shook her head and continued. "I'm sorry, I don't really understand. Why are you calling? And how do you know my brother?"

"_Oh… well, you see, they sent in an audition tape to be considered for our new series, The Other Side, and they were selected to be one of our feature families. I'm calling to_ –"

"Okay, hold on," Rin cut her off, tapping her foot. "_My_ brother and his wife sent in an audition tape? Why would they do that?"

"_I'm sorry, ma'am, I really don't know. I'm just an assistant producer. I don't make the decisions of the tapes. There are forms and a copy of the contract in the mail. Please make sure that they sign them and contact us when they get back. Here's our number_," she rattled off a number, "_I'll keep in touch; thank you so much for your time. Good-bye_."

And with that, the woman, Melody, hung up. Rin stared down at the phone before shaking her head and placing it back on the cradle. Walking back to the kitchen, she couldn't help but scoff. Her brother-in-law and Kikyou auditioning for a reality TV show? Now there was something she didn't think she'd ever hear come out of anyone's mouth.

X

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Ayumi said as she straightened and stacked booklets of sheet music. "Souta, your little brother, sent in a tape offering for your family to be on _national television_?" She paused while she took a sip of lukewarm coffee. "That's pretty cool, if you ask me."

Kagome groaned and circled around the piano to stand next to her friend and co-worker. "That's not the point, Ayumi! Don't you think it's a little weird that he sent it in right before –"

She cut herself off and sat down heavily on the piano bench, dropping her head in her hands with an exhausted sigh. Ayumi frowned and sat next to her, balancing precariously on the edge. 'These things aren't made for two people…'

"It's okay, Kags," she said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know. But… if he sent in a tape that means that it was really important to him and it was what he wanted. Maybe… it'd be a way to honor his wishes, you know?" she gave a slight smile, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Besides, it might be fun and a good experience for you."

Kagome just sighed again and mumbled something into her hands. Ayumi's eyebrow rose and she leaned in a little closer.

"Sorry, I couldn't quite catch that."

Kagome lifted her head up to give her a withering glare. "I said, 'I know; I'm just not sure about the whole thing.'"

"Ah," Ayumi nodded her head knowingly and stood up, returning to her music sorting. After a few minutes of silence disturbed only by the shuffling of paper hitting and scrapping against lacquered wood, she looked up and smiled apologetically. "Uh… sorry to kick you out, Kags, but…"

Kagome stood up and dusted off her skirt. "You have a class next period, I know. I do too, so I'll be seeing you, Ayumi," she gave a wry smile. "Thanks for listening to me."

Ayumi waved her thank you away. "You don't need to thank me, it's what I'm here for… besides the whole music teacher thing, you know…" the two laughed at their little joke and Kagome turned towards the door. "Oh, hey," Ayumi called just as she reached for the handle, "if you stop by at lunch, we might be able to sneak out without any of my choir nerd students noticing."

Kagome smiled softly and nodded. "Will do."

And with that, she stepped out into the bright, midmorning sunshine. She had an eleventh grade English class next period and she didn't want to keep her students waiting outside her door for too long. With a sigh, she picked up the pace just as the warning bell rang for third period. It was going to be a long day if the rate things were going was any indication. And all she wanted to do at that moment was go home and curl up in bed with her photo album and large box of goldfish crackers…

X

Rin fell backwards onto the couch with a soft 'oomph,' her arms spread wide and her long hair splaying out around her. Shippou was at school and wouldn't get home until around three-thirty. She had the house all to herself and she had no idea what to do with herself.

"I wish Sesshomaru was here," she breathed, staring up at the ceiling with wide brown eyes.

She hadn't seen her husband in almost a week now. He'd been on a business trip ever since the day after Inuyasha and Kikyou's wedding. It wasn't anything new for him to be away because of work, but Inuyasha wasn't there to keep her company either. Instead, she was stuck at his house watching her nephew while her family was off continent hopping. Not that she was bitter or anything. She was just lonely.

Just then, the phone rang, startling her into a sitting position. Leaping up, she almost fell back down because of the sudden case of vertigo she was experiencing. Hand to her temple, she stumbled over to the phone and picked it up with a weak, "Hello?"

"_Well I see you're happy to hear from me_," her husband's deep voice teased slightly.

"Sessy!" she squealed, immediately brightening up. "Oh my gosh, you have no idea how bad I needed to hear your voice right now!"

The elder Taisho brother chuckled at her words. "_Well, I was just calling to say that we closed the deal earlier than expected. So I'm catching a flight home tomorrow and I should be back late afternoon_."

"Really? That's wonderful! I've really missed you," she said, pacing the hall, a goofy grin on her face.

"_I've missed you too_."

"Oh, you'll never guess who called yesterday!"

"_Who_?"

"Some lady from this television network saying that Inu and Kikyou are going to be on this new show, or what ever. It was kinda weird," she laughed lightly. "They'd never do that right? I mean, come on, it's them! Kikyou hates TV!"

There was silence on the other line before, "_Hmm_," and that was it.

Rin pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it for a moment. Putting it back between her ear and shoulder, she continued pacing along the hall. She was now tangled up in the chord, but she didn't really care… or notice.

"'Hmm?' That's all you can say? 'Hmm?'"

"_Well what else is there to say, Rin? It's their decision and if they want to make fools of themselves on television, then so be it. I'm not going to stop my idiot half-brother from running his own life_," he said with slight amusement.

Rin sighed. "Well, I know, but –"

"_Don't worry about it, Rin. How is Shippou_?"

She knew he was changing the subject, but she went along with it anyway. Maybe if she acted like it was no big deal, she'd get more out of him… Like maybe why it sounded like he knew something about the whole Inuyasha and Kikyou going on national television thing…

"Oh, well he's good. I think he misses Inu and Kikyou, though. He's at school right now."

"_Hmm_."

"There you go again with the 'hmm' thing! What do you find so amusing, Sesshomaru? I'd like to be included in this too! I'm bored stiff in this house by myself, and you're not helping right now!"

Sesshomaru just chuckled, making her glower at the wall. "_Calm down, Rin. I love you_."

She smiled softly at that. She loved it when he said that. "I love you too, Sess. But –"

"_Listen, I have to go. I'll call you tonight_."

"Hey! Now wait just a min –"

"_I love you_."

"I love you too, now hold –"

"_Good-bye_."

He hung up, leaving Rin stunned in the hall, wrapped up in the phone chord and holding the phone limply in her hand. Little by little, her brow furrowed and her mouth formed a snarl. That husband of hers was going to pay!

"Sesshomaru!"

E

_I don't know when the next installment will be out. I don't even know when I'm going to be out to see the light of day in the next few weeks! Well, thank you to anyone who's reading this. It's a fun story to write and it's just going to get better! Yay! Okay, so, until next time! (Which will probably be my next three-day weekend… or Thanksgiving… if I'm not bogged down with homework…) – Hope Swings_


	3. Chapter 3

**The Other Side**

**The Catch**

Sango leaned against the mirrored wall of the elevator and fidgeted nervously with the hem of her tapered, pinstriped skirt. She was leaving to meet with the Houjou family today with her assistant, Melody. They were well on their way to making The Other Side a big success, but this part still made her anxious. She'd never been a very good people person and this was her first big break. If this didn't go well, she'd be blacklisted in the media industry forever and ever, amen.

Just then, the elevator binged and the mirrored doors slid open to reveal a tall man with sleek black hair tied at the nape of his neck. Sango paused mid-fidget and glanced at the floor number. 23… Rolling her eyes, she moved over to "make room" for the handsome man and squeezed herself into the corner farthest from him. Of course, the man just nonchalantly took up the space right next to her and grinned down at her suggestively. 'Great, twenty-three floors stuck in an elevator with a pervert…' she mentally bemoaned, turning away slightly to vainly attempt to ignore him.

X

'Sweet! Twenty-three floors alone with this fair beauty! I'm so lucky!' the man thought gleefully as he gazed down at the gorgeous brunette.

She looked a little like a new production assistant who wanted to make an impression on her new boss. Her black two-piece suit had nearly inconspicuous magenta pinstripes and fit snuggly over her shapely figure and the dark pink blouse that would have looked flashy on any other woman made her dark mahogany eyes pop and enhanced her pale, creamy skin. A thin silver chain hung from her neck, displaying a miniature topaz and silver boomerang pendant. His dark eyes raked over her form in appraisal, taking in every miniscule detail and filing all of the little quirks and unique traits away in his mind for later use. Just by her choice of clothing and how it accentuated and flattered her figure, he could tell that she would prove to be a very… interesting and fun conquest.

Opening his mouth, he was about to say something when the woman shifted slightly before stepping away from him and moving to the other side of the elevator. She didn't even spare him a glance as she stood with her hip out to the side and arms folded across her chest. After a few minutes of silence, she started to tap her foot impatiently, staring intently up at the slowly decreasing floor numbers. He couldn't suppress the chuckle that bubbled up inside his chest at the sight of her.

"You know, the elevator isn't going to go any faster just because you glare at the buttons," he commented casually, leaning his shoulder against the spotless mirrored wall.

She just sent him a dry look before quickly returning her attention to the lit up number eleven. Twelve more floors to go… The young man sighed. This was going to be a bit more difficult than he originally thought.

"I'm Miroku," he stated, offering his hand.

The young woman glanced back at him and fixed wary eyes on his hand before taking the proffered limb in her own.

"Sango."

Miroku grinned. "Are you new here, Miss Sango? I don't think I've seen you around before."

Sango just shook her head with a slight smirk. He thought she was a newbie… Psht! As if!

"No, I've been around for a few years. But I haven't seen you either, so I think we're about even."

Miroku stared down at her in disbelief. This lovely gem had been around for a few _years_ and he had heard neither hide nor hair about her? How in the hell did she slip past his radar? This little piece of information made him look down at her in a whole new light. She wasn't just a simple conquest anymore. Conquests were easy and things that occurred with little effort or thought. No, this would be a challenge and one that he would enjoy in its entirety and revel in its rarity. With this in mind, he turned on his charm with a dazzling grin.

"So, Miss Sango, where are you off to at this time of the day?"

Sango quirked a skeptic eyebrow, pinning him with a look that clearly said 'what's the catch?' "I could ask you the same thing."

Miroku chuckled. She was feisty, that was for sure. "Oh, nowhere, really. Naraku just wanted me to accompany an up-and-coming producer on a consultation with a prospective family for the new series the network's so excited about," Sango's eyes widened in surprise, although it went unnoticed by the rambling man. "Have you heard about it? I must say, it seems very promising, very unique, you know. I'm just wondering what the edge is going to be for this one. Many networks are doing the wife-swap shows these days and in order to stand out, it needs something… cutting-edge, you know?"

Sango glowered down at her Mary Jane type shoes. It needed something "cutting-edge?" What right did this man have to criticize her baby? And why would Naraku send him with her? This was _her_ project and she'd fought hard for it. No one was going to warp it into something grotesque and "edgy" just because they thought it needed a new twist! No one!

"…But I must say," Miroku continued, completely oblivious to the angry fire he'd sparked in her mahogany eyes, "this Ms. Hara seems like quite a character. I heard she came up with the concept all by herself and pushed for it for quite a while before it was approved. Many people in this industry usually just roll over after the first few tries and go for something more… scandalous to help boost ratings."

Sango smirked at that. Finally she was getting some recognition! Maybe this Miroku wasn't so bad after all… The elevator binged and the doors slid open, revealing a frazzled Melody who lunged at the startled Sango, dragging her away hurriedly, talking in her ear a mile a minute. Miroku just watched the two depart with a soft chuckle. He'd have to track down this intriguing Sango once he returned from his trip. She would definitely give him a few weeks of amusement – of that he was sure.

X

"… And then Richard suggested that I try the brown pair, and guess what! That one looked _so_ much better than the black pair! Isn't that just _so_ great?"

Melody had been talking incessantly the whole flight without any sign of wearing down. Sango sighed and massaged her temples in an attempt to relieve the tension that had developed over the past two hours. Didn't this girl ever _shut up_? As if sent from God, the "fasten your seatbelts" sign flashed on and the voice of the head stewardess crackled over the speakers.

"The seatbelt sign has been turned on by the pilot, asking you to please remain seated while we approach our final destination. We would like to remind you to stay in your seats until the airplane comes to a complete stop and keep your seatbelts fastened until the seatbelt sign is turned off. Thank you for flying with us today on Western Airlines and enjoy the rest of your trip," the disembodied voice drawled.

Sango rolled her eyes and buckled the safety restraint across her lap. Stewardesses were getting less and less enthusiastic with each passing year. 'What a shame.'

X

"… So for anyone who has any questions, I won't be here after school," Kagome said as the seconds ticked by before the bell rang, signaling the end of class. "If you have any trouble, send me an e-mail or call a friend. Have a great weekend, and I'll see you on Monday," she managed to get out before the bell rang and thirty-five juniors rushed out of the room.

With a sigh, she plopped down in her chair and let her head fall into her hands, elbows propped up on her cluttered desk. After a moment, she sat up and straightened a few papers, slipping back into her "strong and together teacher" façade. With midterms rolling around and Souta's birthday in a week and a half, the stress was finally getting to her.

"I don't know how long I can do this," she muttered as she aimlessly sorted papers into piles.

"I don't either," Akitoki's voice said from the door. Kagome whipped around to face her husband, half way into a standing position in her surprise. When did he get here? What was he doing here? He wasn't supposed to hear that… Akitoki sighed and strode over to his wife, giving her a wry grin.

"You're pushing yourself too hard Kagome," he said softly, tracing her jaw with his long fingers gently. "You need a break and you know it. Especially after what happened with –"

"I know, I know," Kagome cut him off, turning around to face her crowded desk, her hands clenched into fists held firmly at her sides. "But I can't just leave the kids, Akitoki! They need me!"

"And I need you Kagome! I need you to take care of yourself and face what's happened instead of running away and hiding behind school and other people's problems. You're not doing anyone any good by neglecting the care of yourself," he said firmly, whirling her around to face him.

Kagome just stared down at her shoes. She knew he was right; he was usually right. But… It was hard for her. All her life she'd been the strong rock that everyone depended on for everything. She wasn't supposed to have any problems or weaknesses. It wasn't allowed.

"Please, Kagome. For me?" he implored, tilting her head up to look at him and pouting pathetically.

Kagome laughed and lightly smacked his chest. He always knew how to "convince" her. "Oh, all right, but only for you," she said with a smile.

Akitoki beamed down at her and noisily kissed her cheek. "Thank you!" he cried, doing a little jig around the room. "You won't regret this, Kagome! I promise!"

And with that, Kagome's husband rushed out the door. Kagome watched him leave with a slight smile. He acted like such an innocent child sometimes! But that was part of the reasons why she loved him…

The smile slipped from her face as she heaved another heavy sigh. She loved him. That was why she married him… right? Shaking her head, she turned back to her desk and started sorting papers again. She still had work to do and lunch was already half way over…

X

Later that day, Kagome returned home exhausted from a long day at school. That producer woman was supposed to be coming this afternoon and she still had to clean up the house to make it look presentable. Akitoki was due back in an hour or so, so she had time to get ready. Tossing her messenger bag by the shoe rack by the door, she slipped out of her shoes and trudged into the kitchen. 'Ice cream sounds so good right now…'

Ten minutes later found Kagome tossing clothing in her closet and hamper, folding the odd shirt or pair of pants that belonged to her husband. Akitoki was a neat freak and preferred to have all his clothes pressed and folded, neatly stacked in his drawers or hung up in his closet. Kagome just threw things everywhere and dug through piles of clothes in the morning out of habit from her junior high days that had carried on into the rest of her life. She had always tried to clean up and put her clothes away, but she just couldn't do it. But seeing as how there would be guests over inspecting the whole house, she figured she should pick up after herself and maybe please her husband in this part of their life for once.

Kagome was in the middle of inspecting a book that she'd lost a few months prior when the doorbell rang. Jumping at the sudden chime, she threw the book in an open drawer and closed it hurriedly before tearing down the stairs to open the door. Skidding into the front hall though, she ended up tripping over her bag and landing hard on the cold tile with a startled yelp. She stayed there for a moment before slowly picking herself up off the floor and rubbing at her stinging knee, hopping over to the door with a scowl firmly set on her face. Trying to smile through the pain, she jerked the door open only to find…

X

Sango lugged her bag along, trying to politely ignore the still jabbering girl that was nearly attached to her hip. They'd just landed and she was more than ready to check into her hotel and maybe pass out. But she still had work to do, so any hopes of sleep or rest was ruled out. 'Too bad.'

Just then, she spotted a sign at the bottom of the escalator that lead to the main lobby of the terminal. 'Oh, thank God!' she thought as she noticed it had her name scribbled on it in thick black ink. She hefted her bag up higher on her shoulder and picked up the pace, Melody trotting along beside her, still gabbing in her ear. But when she drew close enough to the chauffeur (or who she assumed was the chauffeur), her pace slowed down to a stop as she stared open-mouthed at the man from the elevator.

"Oh, God…" she breathed as he grinned down at her.

"Ah! The beauty from the elevator!" he exclaimed with a bow. "Just couldn't get enough of me, eh?"

Sango didn't say anything. She just continued to stare at him with wide brown eyes. 'I should have known…' she thought, finally coming to her senses and rolling her eyes.

"Come on, Melody," she said to the girl who had stopped beside her, passing the man and heading for the exit.

The assistant nodded obediently and scuttled after her. She'd actually silenced her chatter when Sango had stopped and lapsed into a speechless daze. But Sango hadn't noticed of course and as soon as she had beckoned for the girl to follow her, Melody had started babbling again.

"Hey! Wait!" the man called, wheeling around to run after them, his sign waving wildly in the air as he flapped his arms around to gain their attention.

Sango turned around with a scowl, crossing her arms over her chest as he approached. Melody just stood there confused, not knowing what to do. Her boss obviously knew this man and didn't like him. But he seemed nice enough to her, so she remained innocently neutral and just watched on as the show began.

"What do you want now?" Sango snapped, her foot tapping on the tiled entryway to the terminal.

"Well, I was just wondering if you knew where Miss Hara was. As far as I know, her flight was the last one out of Chicago to Sacramento until later tonight and I'm assuming that since you're here that she was on your flight. Plus, you're the only people I know in this city right now…" he said sheepishly, staring at his feet and rubbing the back of his neck.

Sango rolled her eyes again. "Oh, shove it, Miroku! That is such bad acting!"

"Oh, you poor thing!" Melody cooed as she gave him a soothing hug. "I'm sure you can hang out with us until Miss Hara come–" She pulled back slightly and looked at him wide-eyed. "Did you say Miss Hara?" she asked with a puzzled expression.

Miroku grinned mischievously. "Why, yes, I did. You wouldn't happen to be her, would you?"

Melody laughed and stepped away from him. "Well, no!" she said, trying to fend off her giggles unsuccessfully. "You're so silly!" She smacked his shoulder lightly. "You're looking for Miss Sango! She's right over there!"

Miroku followed her pointed finger to see her companion, the woman from the elevator, looking away with a slight blush creeping across the bridge of her nose. All he could do was stare as she cleared her throat, still refusing to meet his gaze. _She_ was Miss Hara? And he'd said all those things about her new show in the elevator… 'No wonder she didn't say anything…'

"Well," Sango said awkwardly, fidgeting with the strap of the bag slung over her shoulder. "Now that we're all acquainted… somewhat… let's get going then."

And with that, she turned on her heel and hurried out of the terminal with Melody rushing after her. Miroku followed after them in a daze. The mysterious beauty from the elevator was the new producer he was going to be working with? He still couldn't get over it…

X

"Grandpa?" Kagome shrieked at the sight of the old man on her doorstep.

The eighty-something-year-old man just chuckled and nodded, shuffling past her into the house. Kagome just shut the door and followed after him in a daze, her mouth hanging open and eyes nearly bugging out of her head. Her grandfather left his suitcase by the door and made his way into the living room, settling down in the recliner with a contented sigh.

"Ah… that's much better," he murmured, shifting around to make himself more comfortable. "Those Greyhound bus seats are just so darn uncomfortable and make my back ache."

Kagome had come into the living room after him and stood by the coffee table, her hands on her hips. There was a tray of cookies and lemonade that she had set out for her guests, and the stack of magazines that were usually present had been put somewhere else, allowing more room for the small pot of flowers one of her students had given her at for teacher appreciation day the previous month. Her grandfather hadn't noticed them yet because he was telling her his long list of why he hated buses. Kagome just rolled her eyes, typical Grandpa…

"Grandpa," she said, cutting him off from saying something about the cramped, onboard bathrooms. "What're you doing here?"

Her grandfather sent her a quizzical glance before noticing the tray of food. "I told you a few weeks ago that I was coming to stay. I left a message and Akitoki said it was perfectly fine," he said, pouring himself a glass and stacking a few cookies on a napkin. He glanced up after he'd stocked up on treats and was settling back down in the overstuffed chair, "I thought you knew."

Kagome frowned. She hadn't heard anything. Shaking her head, she sat down in the armchair and cradled her head in her hands. Everything was just getting so screwed up and blown out of proportion… How in the world was she supposed to keep up?

"Kagome?"

Kagome just shook her head and waved her grandfather away. She didn't have time to deal with him at the moment.

"Kagome?"

Kagome sighed and looked up wearily. "Not now, Grandpa. I have people coming over really soon and I honestly didn't know you were coming and I'm under so much stress right now. I–"

Her grandfather smiled slightly and shook his head. "It's fine, Kagome. I was just telling you that your doorbell is ringing."

Kagome stared at him for a moment before jumping up and rushing to the door. Her grandfather shook his head again and chuckled, biting into a cookie, smile still on his face. When Akitoki called to say that Kagome needed help and family around her, he had rushed to make plans to comfort his granddaughter, worried that something had happened again. True, she was much more stressed than she should be, but seeing her now, he could see that underneath all that, she was still his same little Kagome. She was just confused and scared. That was all. The fact that she was still mourning didn't help all that much either, but he still was too and understood how she was feeling.

X

Sango was not a happy camper. Not only did she have to work with Miroku James for an indefinite amount of time on her baby, but she also had to sit next to the stupid pervert in the car. She didn't have Melody to distract her either or on the other side of her. No, Melody got to ride up front with the cab driver because she had the directions and Miroku had shoved Melody in the front and had closed the door on Sango before she could escape and protest.

So now she was sitting in the cramped backseat of a taxi pressed against the door, trying to make herself as small as possible and stay as far away from the older man as she could. Miroku was grinning down at her with this creepy glint in his eyes that really unnerved her. Why did he have to do that? Couldn't he see how uncomfortable it made her?

And now there was something creeping up her leg… Glancing down, the color drained from her face and she gulped, starting to panic. And then her face flushed with heat as the hand continued on up, drawing increasingly closer to the hem of her skirt. Screeching angrily, she blindly smacked him in the face with the back of her hand and furtively pushed him away. Ew ew ew ew EW! Practically gagging in disgust, she frantically rolled down the window and shoved her head out into the rushing wind, clutching at the door to keep her stable. If this new show didn't kill her, then Miroku James sure would! How the hell was she supposed to work with this guy!

Thankfully, the taxi came to a stop in front of a nice two-story house so she hastily bolted out of the yellow cab and made a mad dash for the front door, Melody running after her and Miroku following along at a leisurely pace, his hands shoved in his front pockets as if there wasn't a bright red, throbbing hand print on the side of his face. That man really was a work of art…

X

Kagome scrambled for the door, much like she did when her grandfather had been standing on her doorstep. It couldn't be Akitoki since he had a key, and she honestly didn't think that anyone else would suddenly show up in front of her house… Well, it was around the time that the people from the network were supposed to arrive, so she was pretty sure it was them…

Smoothing away any creases in her pants, she took a deep breath before opening the front door, only to find…

"GET YOUR LECHEROUS HANDS OFF OF ME!"

Kagome could only stare at the steaming woman who was very red in the face with her hands balled into tight fists at her sides screaming at the unconscious man who was slumped over on her doorstep with a euphoric smile on her lips and two very red and swelling hand prints on his cheek. There was a frantic woman right behind the first trying to calm her down and flapping thick stacks of paper in her face in an attempt to cool her down. And behind all of them was a very robust and greasy cab driver yelling at all of them about his pay right beside his yellow taxi while chucking luggage out of the trunk and onto the curb. Kagome had to try very hard not to laugh or cry. These were the people who would be taping and in charge of her life for the next few months? Oh, God help her…

X

Eventually, the three people from the television network had noticed her presence and had paid the cabbie. They had then proceeded to introduce themselves and had moved into the living room to wait for Akitoki to get home so they could begin talking about the show. Kagome looked them all over from her place on the arm of the recliner her grandfather was still seated in.

The woman, Sango, seemed nice, although a little hotheaded when it came to the… colorful man currently seated on the couch beside her. Speaking of which… The violet-eyed man, Miroku, was really quite overzealous when it came to the opposite sex. One glance in her direction had him bowing over her hands, which he had clutched tightly in his own, and professing his feelings for her and asking her to bear his children… Even though he obviously knew she was married… Melody, Sango's assistant, seemed nice enough and normal enough, although she was a bit ditzy and oblivious, but aren't most people? Overall they seemed like a very nice group of people, if a little… okay, _very_ odd. But that didn't warrant for any type of ill will, especially since she had always been a strong advocate for the importance of differences and tolerance…

"So, Mrs. Houjou –" Sango began, only to be cut off by the petite, raven-haired woman.

"Kagome," said woman stated calmly.

"Excuse me?"

"Call me Kagome."

"Oh, um, okay… Kagome. What do you do exactly?"

Kagome smiled slightly and shifted to better face the producer. "I teach eleventh grade English at the local high school."

Miroku leaned forward interestedly. "Really? How do you like that? Do your students like you?" he asked.

"Um… as far as I know, my students have fun in class and that's the main thing that I try to achieve. That way, there is no need for too much stress in my class. They have enough stress in their other classes that I don't think they should have any from my class without reason, which would normally be from their own procrastination."

"So you enjoy teaching?" Miroku enquired further.

Kagome frowned slightly for a moment before nodding resolutely. "Yes, very much, why?"

"Oh, no reason," he said offhandedly, leaning back on the couch with his arms pillowing the back of his head.

Sango smacked his chest lightly and said something along the lines of 'don't be rude.' Miroku only grinned wolfishly at her and retorted with some lewd, suggestive comment that Kagome and everyone else in the room had become quite accustomed to. Sango only blushed furiously and turned back around to stare stiffly at the opposite wall, attempting to ignore the man with the loud personality beside her. Kagome registered this absently, her attention turned elsewhere. Souta had asked her something along the same lines a year ago, a few days before his birthday.

"_Are you happy Kags?" _

Of course she was happy. Why wouldn't she be? She had Akitoki and school. She belonged somewhere and was accepted for who she was.

"Are_ you happy with Akitoki? Are _you_ happy with this situation? Are you _happy_ with how everything's been going since Mom got sick?_ Are you happy_?"_

Well she couldn't exactly be happy with everything, now could she? And of course she was happy with Akitoki – he loved and cared for her. And maybe their circumstances weren't the best, but they got by all right and she was content with how her life was going. Her mother's sickness and death certainly didn't make her _happy_ either, but what could she do? Not everything in life was rainbows and moonbeams and prancing unicorns. There ups and downs in everything and she understood that and accepted that.

"_It's okay, Kagome, I know. You don't have to convince me about how you feel about anything; I already know you." _

Kagome shook her head of the memory and fought back the tears that were threatening to leak from the corners of her eyes. What did he mean by that? Blinking, she spotted Miroku's knowing glance and looked away. Was she really so easy to read by other people?

Across the room, Melody was glancing down at her watch with a confused expression. She glanced up, a frown furrowing her forehead.

"Hey, Kagome," she called, drawing the room's occupants' attention solely on her. "It's almost 5:30. Aren't schools out by 3:00? Where's your brother?"

Sango and Miroku nodded and looked at their own watches. Kagome blanched and grabbed for her grandfather's hand while the old man gently squeezed her shaking limb in reassurance. The other four people in the room gazed at her expectantly while she desperately fished for a response.

"He's-he's, um, he's…"

"Yes?"

"Well, you see… Souta, um… he –"

The front door opened and Akitoki walked in with a wide smile. "Honey, I'm home! Have the networking people come… yet? Kagome? What's wrong?"

" – He died…"

The room was dead silent as Kagome disclosed this information. She stared down at her hands, twisted in the napkin in her lap, finally allowing the tears to come as the world crashed around her and the three newcomers stared blankly at her in shock and her remaining family members stared glumly at the opposite walls in somber respect for the woman in obvious mourning.

E

_Wow, that's a long chapter. 14 pages on Word… Hm. So anyway, I'm not exactly happy with the ending, but I'm compromising with myself for the next chapter. I hope everyone liked it. I'm now officially on break, so there should be a few more updates until January for most of my stories. There are a few chapters for various stories waiting to be finished at the moment. Until next time! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year, and Happy whatever-other-holiday-I-haven't-already-mentioned-that-takes-place-in-December/early January! – Hope Swings_


	4. Chapter 4

**The Other Side**

**The Homecoming**

"… What?" Sango asked astonished at the sudden turn of events.

Kagome only nodded silently, fighting futilely to hold back her sobs. Akitoki had already moved toward her in the heavy silence that had descended on the room after his wife's confession and was now stroking her back in an attempt to comfort her. He glanced pleadingly at her grandfather, only to be given a shrug and pointed stare. Grandpa had never really felt like he was right for his granddaughter, but right now, he was Akitoki's only ally. His gaze turned back to the guests in his house and sighed. Might as well tell them the whole story…

"Souta passed away a few months ago. He snuck out in the middle of the night and was caught in the crossfire of two feuding gangs down on a street corner. He was doing better in his treatments and the doctors believed that with the way things were going that he'd survive and live to a ripe old age. We'd just received the good news the day that Souta died but we hadn't been able to tell him. Kagome was crushed." He glanced lovingly down at his distraught wife.

There was another heavy silence as the room's occupants took a moment to quietly offer up their condolences and contemplate on the tragic loss of such a wonderful boy in such a horrible situation. None of the three people from the network company wanted to say anything about the show, but that was why they were there. So finally, Miroku spoke up.

"Are you sure you are ready for a reality television show so soon after this happened?" he asked hesitantly, not wanting to tread any further on this touchy subject.

A choked and strangled laugh erupted from Kagome's throat, startling everyone in the room. She pressed her palms to her mouth as she doubled over in hysterics tears streaming down her face. She looked fit for an institution with her hair messily framing her face, which had turned red. No one knew what to do, so they watched on wide-eyed as she calmed down enough to force out coherent speech.

"Souta sent in the tape. I had no idea that he'd done it until you called here. He died near a mailbox and the tape was sent in five months ago, around the time when he died. This was his wish for the family and he died trying to make it happen. Even if we might not be necessarily ready for this kind of thing, I'm going to make sure that we do so that my brother can rest in peace," she said firmly, a grim conviction settling over her face as it slowly returned back to its normal color.

Miroku nodded silently as Sango gazed on at her with quiet admiration and Melody smiled encouragingly. Kagome sagged back against her seat after giving her little speech. No one really wanted to follow after that or get right down to business, but that was the reason they were all there. Miroku cleared his throat uncomfortably and slid a packet of papers onto the table.

"Not meaning to sound like a heartless producer or anything, but we do need you to fill out these consent forms and we'll need to be taken on a tour of the house," he said quietly.

Kagome only nodded and went to get a pen. Akitoki smiled sheepishly and stood as well, silently beckoning them to follow him on that tour. The rest of the afternoon went smoothly yet somberly. Kagome gravely invited the trio to stay for dinner but they'd declined with the excuse that they had another plane to catch and needed to be going. They were all thinking that the small, broken family needed time alone to process and discuss as well.

X

A few thousand miles away, the front door to a quaint suburban townhouse opened and two people entered, laden with suitcases and satchels. An energetic boy with red hair bounced up, talking a mile a minute, while another couple followed more slowly after him, arms around each other lovingly.

"Hey, Sesshomaru. When did you get back?" the man of the newly arrived pair asked his stoic, silver-haired half-brother.

"Last Thursday," said man replied while his wife smiled up at him.

"Sess closed the case early so he flew back out here to be with me and help out with Shippou."

"That was kind of him," the other woman commented blandly as she moved passed everyone in the front room to put her luggage away in the master bedroom.

Rin just scowled after her new sister-in-law. Kikyou had always been cool towards everyone, but that comment was uncalled for. Especially after she'd just got back from her "happy honeymoon" with her new husband while his sister-in-law watched their son for them. Seeing her expression, Sesshomaru squeezed her shoulder inconspicuously, and she quickly slapped on a smile for the new husband.

"So, how was the honeymoon?" she asked brightly.

Inuyasha shrugged. "It was alright, I guess. The hotel was nice and the scenery was beautiful."

"That's it?" she asked incredulously. "It was 'alright'?"

"Daddy! Daddy! Guess what?" his adoptive son exclaimed, hopping from foot to foot.

Inuyasha just nodded to Rin's question before directing his attention to the little boy as he was lead off into the family room. Rin frowned after his retreating back. Why did it seem like something was off with this family? First she finds out her brother and his wife are going to be on a reality TV show, then her husband refuses to talk about it when it's obvious he knows something pertaining to it. And _then_ the newly-weds come home and the honeymoon was just "alright". What was she not being told?

Sesshomaru sniffed delicately at the air beside her. "Is something burning, Rin?"

"Shoot! The ramen!" she screamed, tearing away from his arm and racing for the kitchen as the fire alarm started screeching high above their heads.

X

"So what did you want to tell me, Squirt?" Inuyasha asked as his son led him into the family room where the television was showing some action movie.

Shippou hopped up onto the couch and motioned for his adoptive father to join him. Once the silver-haired man was seated comfortably on the couch beside him, Shippou turned to him, the epitome of seriousness. In a business-like voice, the six – almost seven – year-old said, "The Tooth Fairy isn't real."

Inuyasha had to hold back a smile when he replied, "Oh yeah? Who told you?"

"Daddy, this is serious!" Shippou cried with a roll of his eyes. "And Carter told me."

"Really?" the older man said with a skeptical eyebrow raised. "And how did Carter find out?"

"Well," Shippou said matter-of-factly, "He lost a tooth a week ago and put it under his pillow and didn't get any money. He says it's still under his pillow."

"Hmm…" Inuyasha mused over this juicy little tidbit. "Well, it seems to me that that _could_ be just cause for doubt in the tutu-wearing being that sneaks into children's rooms at night to exchange teeth for cold, hard cash and then hordes the bicuspids in a remote location somewhere… But I'm not so sure."

Shippou, wide-eyed now from his father's description of the childhood character, could only stammer, "R-really? W-why?"

"Because, as a reporter, I've tracked the Tooth Fairy down in order to get the whole truth – as is my civil duty to the loyal readers and truth-seekers of the world," he said with a smirk.

"W-what happened, Daddy?"

"Well," Inuyasha began weaving his tale for his rapt audience, "when your Uncle Sesshomaru and I were a little older than you, we decide to track good ol' TF down and see what the whole deal was. I had a loose tooth so we pulled it out with a string attached to a doorknob and then put it under the pillow and waited. When it was late at night, the window slid open and this person in a tutu and with wings and a fluffy wand snuck in. It looked like a man with a bald spot on the top of his head and these big glasses that made his eyes look really big. So the guy reached under my pillow and pulled out the tooth, inspected it and then put it in a little pouched around his waist. He had a coin dispenser too and pressed a few coins out and put them under my pillow in place of the tooth.

"This was where Sess and I sprang up and jumped on him. He wasn't expecting that, so he fell to the ground and we tied him up with a jump rope and interrogated him."

Shippou was staring at him wide-eyed and slack-jawed. "What did you ask him?"

"We told him we wouldn't let him go unless he took us to where he kept all the teeth. He was really reluctant to take us since he had a whole bunch of other teeth to collect. But we said he could just take us with him, so he did. So for the whole night, Sess and I were apprentice Tooth Fairies. And at the end, he took us to this warehouse."

"A warehouse? Why a warehouse?"

"Well, it turns out there's a whole society of Tooth Fairies and they store all the teeth they collect in the warehouse to be sent off in huge flying barges to some distant planet that uses the teeth as a fuel supply."

"A distant planet?"

"Yep. Pretty cool, huh?"

"So when my teeth come out and the Tooth Fairy takes them away, they go to fuel a distant planet and it's occupants?"

"That's right."

Shippou was silent for a moment before a huge grin spread across his face. "That's so COOL!"

"Shippou! Inuyasha!" Rin called from the kitchen. "I fixed dinner! Come eat!"

Shippou hopped up and raced for the kitchen. "Uncle Sessy! Daddy just told me about the Tooth Fairy! That's so cool that you got to be one of them for a night!"

Inuyasha shook his head with a smile as he too got up and headed for the kitchen. He loved telling stories like that to the little boy. He almost never got to as a newspaper reporter and Kikyou didn't like made-up stories. She said they were a waste of time and would ruin Shippou's chance at being normal and successful since he'd just go around and tell other people who would make fun of him for silly stories that had nothing to do with reality. Inuyasha personally had no problems with it, but he had a policy not to start arguments with his wife since she was a lawyer and so much better at winning them than he was. Shaking his head to clear it of his thoughts, his hypersensitive olfactory glands caught the scent of…

"Rin, is that… _ramen_ I smell?"

X

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru growled at dinner. "What's this I hear about you and I being Tooth Fairies in cahoots with aliens to provide them with teeth to fuel their ecosystems?"

Inuyasha started laughing, causing the other inhabitants of the dinner table to pause in their consumption of the salvaged ramen and stare at the two brothers curiously. Sesshomaru scowled and pretended not to know what caused the younger man's outburst. He didn't think it was _that_ funny…

Once Inuyasha calmed down, everyone went back to his or her food and dinner resumed as normal. "Well?" Sesshomaru persisted.

"Just play along, Sess," the newspaper reporter whispered back. "Shippou didn't think the Tooth Fairy was real because of one of the kids from school so I just made something up."

Sesshomaru shot him a strange look but let it slide and returned to ignoring his half-brother. Sometimes it was best to just pretend that Inuyasha wasn't there and act like you were immune to his absurd stories. Otherwise you'd go insane just by being around the stain on his family's impeccable bloodline.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Shippou exclaimed from across the table, sending droplets of ramen broth all over the dinning table.

Inuyasha glanced over at his adopted son, chuckling at the almost seven-year-old's antics. His wife just frowned at the mess he was making. It was too childish for any son of hers. She silently decided that from then on there would be more discipline in her household.

"What is it Shippou?" Inuyasha asked interestedly.

"Did you bring back presents from your trip? You always bring back presents! What'd you get me?" Shippou was practically convulsing in his seat in excitement.

Inuyasha just grinned. "Maybe."

Kikyou frowned and placed a restraining hand on the boy's shoulder. "Calm down, Shippou; you're making a scene."

"Kikyou, just chill," Rin spoke up. "He's a kid and you guys just came home; give him a break if he's excited to see you."

Kikyou glared at the younger woman. "How I treat my child should not concern you – you have no say in his upbringing. Besides, he is old enough to know not to act this way at the dinner table."

"It should not concern me?" Rin cried in outrage. "You weren't there when –"

Sesshomaru placed a hand on his wife's arm and pulled her away from the table. Now was not the time to have this discussion. No matter how much he agreed with Rin in her sentiments toward his brother's choice in partner, he refused to bring it up when they'd just returned from their honeymoon. Especially not in front of Shippou.

In regards to the young boy, he was looking on in confusion. He didn't understand what was going on. Why were Auntie Rin and his mother fighting over him? Why was his father staring down at his empty bowl looking so sad? What was going on?

Sesshomaru marched Rin out of the room before returning to the table. "Rin and I are going to return home," he said to Inuyasha, gaining the silver-haired man's attention. "We are pleased that you had a nice trip and returned safely. Have a good night, brother."

Inuyasha nodded absently as his older brother nodded curtly in response before turning around and swiftly striding out of the room. The sound of the couple's footsteps faded and the soft opening and closing of the door signaled their departure. The trio in the dinning room remained silent until Kikyou stood up and began clearing the table mechanically.

"I'm going to go to bed," she said once she finished placing dishes in the sink.

Inuyasha nodded again. "I'll take care of Shippou. Don't wait up."

"I wasn't going to."

X

Rin was fuming. "That – that… butt-head, dragon-lady!"

Sesshomaru smirked at her screeching beside him in the car. His wife refused to use profanity and it was a trait that he considered rather cute if a little juvenile and naïve. But then again, she worked at a day care.

"I mean honestly! Can you believe the nerve of her? I just – Ooh!" Throwing up her hands, Rin slumped down in her seat to sulk and stare heatedly out the window at the blurred scenery.

"She doesn't understand this family yet, Rin," he said calmly.

Whirling toward him, Rin clutched the armrest angrily. "I don't believe that though, Sess! She's been around us for four years! She may've been an actual part of this family for a few weeks, but that's no excuse! And like hippos do I have no say in how Shippou's raised. I'm his aunt! And I watched him for them for three weeks while they were gone. I didn't even receive a thank you for it!"

When she paused in her rant, her normally stoic husband quirked an eyebrow at her, his eyes still on the road. "'Like hippos'? I've never heard that one before, Rin. Where'd you pick that up from?"

Rin just scowled up at him. "You're not helping," she snapped.

"You need to calm down, Rin. I'm not particularly fond of the woman either –"

"She's not a woman – she's the devil!"

" – But it was my idiotic brother's decision to marry her. You always nag me to respect him and support him. Follow your own advice in regards to his marriage."

Rin crossed her arms and pouted cutely. "Since when do you defend Inu? You're supposed to be against his actions all the time, not sticking up for them."

Sesshomaru just shook his head, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards at his wife's behavior. It was times like this that made him love her even more and appreciative of his marriage. She may act a little childish at times, but he found it charming in such a passionate person. She balanced out his stoic and indifferent character perfectly.

X

Later that night, when Inuyasha was tucking his son into bed, Shippou spoke up quietly.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did Auntie Rin and Uncle Sessy leave in the middle of dinner?"

Inuyasha paused, his hands stilling over the outer space-print covers. "Well," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "You mother and Auntie Rin don't see eye-to-eye all the time."

"Why?"

"Because… Well, because they are two different people."

"Oh… Are they mad at each other?"

Inuyasha sighed, diverting his eyes from those of the curious young boy's. Why did children have to be so dang perceptive in these types of situations?

"You know, Shippou, I'm not sure."

"Oh, okay," Shippou said softly, a wide yawn splitting his face.

Inuyasha smiled softly and stood up to leave as Shippou settled down to sleep. He made it to the door before the boy's voice cut through the dark room.

"Daddy?"

"What Shippou?"

"Is Mommy going to be leaving?"

Inuyasha faltered. Where did that come from? "What do you mean, Shippou? Mommy and I just got back?"

"Some lady called from that TV show you mentioned a while ago. You said that if someone called from that show that Mommy would leave for a little while. Does that mean that Mommy's going to be leaving?"

Inuyasha stared at the form of his adopted son, drowsy and on the verge of Slumber Land. How did he remember things like that? He barely recalled what he'd just mentioned. Nodding slightly, the smile returned to his face.

"Maybe, Shippou. Maybe."

And with that, he slipped out of the room and headed for the living room. He didn't feel like going to his own room where his wife probably lay asleep. There was too much on his mind. Stopping in front of the bookshelf, he paused when his eyes landed on the yearbook from his senior year of high school. Pulling it from its place, he flipped open to a picture and handwritten caption.

'_Hey Yash! I know this year was tough and things got crazy toward the end, but we pulled through! I'm really glad we're friends and that we've been able to share so much. It's too bad that things couldn't work out how I wanted them to, but that's okay. You're a great guy and I still love you. You'll always have a place in my heart no matter what. No hard feelings, I promise. Thanks for being there for me whenever I needed it. You're my best friend and my lifesaver. The raspberry one 'cause those are the best kind! Keep in touch you little jerk! We have the best conversations ever! Even if you wont get stoned with me anymore. It's always good to just talk with you since you haven't ever judged me – you still don't. I'm sorry for all the shit I pulled you through, but you still stuck by me and kept me laughing. I love you with all my heart. Peace! – Suki_'

Smiling softly, he traced the figure of his best friend laughing uproariously at the camera next to his younger self on a low, stone wall. There was a floppy hat with a huge feather from the drama department on his head and he was kneeling on the ground with a flower extended in his hand toward her, the other placed comically above his heart. He too was laughing absurdly as they attempted to get through the scene for their class that had been a version of the classic lovers declaring their love for each other twisted into a comedy. Everyone had loved it.

Gently closing the book, he set it back on the shelf with a sad crease between his eyebrows. He worried about her constantly, ever since she disappeared and left Shippou with him. He knew Shippou remembered his real mother, but he never mentioned her when he was awake; only in his sleep. He was hoping that with this whole TV show thing, he'd be able to find his best friend and somehow be able to reunite mother and son. He wanted her to be a part of Shippou's life. And his. He missed out on having his best friend since childhood at his wedding and talking to her about everything. But most of all, he missed having her opinion on things and the fact that she would give it even when he didn't ask for it. She had a take on everything and she was always able to make him look at the world differently. He owed so much to her, but she'd just disappeared. And with the new reality TV show, he could become that much closer to finding her. For Shippou's sake… but also his own.

E

_Well, I finally finished it. It feels weird, finally writing something again. I've been really busy for the past few months. Sorry! Life happens. Writer's Block happens. I meant to sit down and get something out sooner, but it just never happened. School's started up again and my schedule's really busy because of choir and night classes, so I don't know when the next installment of anything will be out. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed it'll be soon. Thanks for reading! – Hope Swings_


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